I Joined Geneva UN's Only Public Tour This Year

🇺🇳 All images and text in this post are my original content. 🇺🇳 The United Nations, as one of the world’s most important institutions, has always drawn visitors eager to experience it firsthand. Over a decade ago, I toured the UN Headquarters in New York, and a few years back, I visited the UN offices in Vienna. So when I planned my trip to Geneva for July this year, I knew I couldn’t miss the Palais des Nations, the UN’s European headquarters. As a meticulous planner (a true "J" personality), I checked the UN Geneva’s official guided tours page one day in March—and to my surprise, I found a public tour for individuals (not groups!) available at 4 PM on July 22, the very evening I was leaving Geneva. The ticket cost 23.32 CHF. What incredible luck! At the time, this was the only such tour listed for the next six months. Even now, I’ve checked again: no more public tours are available this year—only group tours (15–40 people) or private tours (up to 5 people, costing nearly 300 CHF). The tour itself was deeply meaningful. The Palais des Nations, which inherited the legacy of the League of Nations, sits within the expansive Parc de l'Ariana. Our guide led us through the reception area, explained the history of the complex, and then took us to several buildings. Highlights included: Empty conference rooms and a live session in progress (where we listened via headphones). A grand assembly hall discussing critical issues (strictly no photos). Open-air areas of the compound. The UN stamp and gift shop. Gifts from member nations, including a miniature Temple of Heaven from China (Photo 12). The guide mentioned that post-pandemic, public tours like mine are extremely rare—most are for student groups, which are easier to manage. Major renovations are also underway across the campus. Timeline: Mar 14: Booked online, paid by credit card, received confirmation. Mar 15: Email with registration link to submit passport details. Apr 5: Notification that the meeting point moved from the main to a side entrance. Jun 24: Received the e-ticket (PDF) for entry. Jul 10: Reminder email. Jul 22: Morning-of email with the ticket re-sent. Arrived 30 mins early, joined 13 others, passed security (ID + e-ticket check), and completed the 1-hour tour. All photos and text are my own. More images in the comments! For more Switzerland content, check my other posts. Thanks for following! #Switzerland #Geneva #UnitedNations #UN #PalaisDesNations #GenevaTour #GuidedTour #TravelDiaries #Wanderlust #BucketList